Automobile-tire.



Patented Feb. 16, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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P. El MODLIN.

AUTOMOBILE TIRE. APPLICATION FILED JN. 1'7, 1908.

Patented-Feb. 16, 1909.

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i comprising an approximately tubular body by the bolts or rivets that serve to secure the ii'nirnn f iesfritisfr cierren.

FRANK E. M-ODLIN, OF SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF lO 'FANK I H. DURGIN, OF -LE MARS, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE-Tina.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 16, 1909. Application filed January 1,'7, 1908'. SerlalNo. ll 11,350.

T o all whom it' may concer/t:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. MODLIN,` a l sure is transmitted throughouttire entire excitizen of -the United States, resid-ing at l tent of the tire, causing it on its transverse South Sioux City, in the county of Dakota axis to assu rie elliptical shape, 'while that and State of Nebraska, haveinvented a new portion of the tire opposite or directly over and use'ul Automobile-Tire, of which qthe l the ground contact point will be flattened, following is a specirication.- se that, in eilect, the hub of the wheel will be rlhis invention relates to automobile tires. ,I Suspendedr and will yield as the wheel re- 'Ijhe object of the invention is to provide a volves, thereby securing easy running, and novel form oi tire ol" this character, which also niinimizing'the strain on the tire. shall possess the requisite resiliency to enable Thel tire sections will be made of finely it to cause the vehicleequi ped with it to be smooth and easy riding; w iich shall be nonpuncturable, 'which will be prevented from s kiddiiig, and in which theaxle or" the wheel, owing to the peculiar construction of the tire, shall be ractically suspended.

` h the a ove and other objects in view,

The spokes of the whccl are held assem- 'sockets having threaded engagement with the riin and in which the ends ol' the spokes are seated. Of course, il preferred, the spokes may be directly connected with the riin, as with ordinary automobile wheels; but the construction .First given will be preferred, as it'willsec-iire a more rigid and wear resisting wheel.

Fui-ther, and more specific details ol' construction will be hereinafter :fully described,

i iis-will appear as the nature of the invention is'betterunderstood, the same consists, generally stated, in an automobile tire composed wholly of steel..v

The tireis constructed oi sections each portion and approximately straight extensions that are adapted to straddle the rim. The extensions are longitudinally' slotted, and are held assembled for 4sliding movements relatively to the rini by bolts or rivets 'that passA through the slots, and operate further to clamp in position. a pair ofkeepers that bear directly against the exterior surlaces of the extension.

.as a matter. of further and specific iinproveinent, and in order to. cause a stable union between the sections, one end of each is circuin'ferentially reduced, and overlaps the adjacent section, the lap of the parts being oi' any'desired extent. To hold the sections against movement relatively to each other, rivets are passedthrough the lapped portions and serve to hold in place ribs or spurs that are disposed at the tread of the tire and operate to prevent skidding. To preclude entrance of dirt or water to the in terior oi the tire, shields are interposed between the extensions and the rim and seal the slots' in the extensions and are. held in place claiins.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part or" this specilicatioii, and in which like characters ol reference indicate correspondof an automobile tire constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view cfa section of the tire, sitowing more particularly the ineaiis l'or preventing skidding. l? ig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the tire. Eig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the form of tire shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a modiiied forni of tire. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view ol' one of the tire sections. Fig/7 is a fragmentary detail view in section of a portion ol' the tire.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a hub of an automobile wheel, and 2 the spokes, and, as these parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction, further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

VThe resent invention resides in the novel form o tire roper, -in the rim, and in the manner in Wiiich the `parts are constructed and assembled.

keepers in position.

Owing to the manner in which the sections of the tire are assembled, in the use of the wheel, that portion that contacts wth the tempered spring steel, and will thusbe capa-- ble ol vieldin f without dan er ol breaking.,

J g c bled with the riin by providing the latter with ing parts, Figure 1 is a view in side elevationA transverse sectional view through a slightly i ground will liatten somewhat, and this presand particularly delined in 'the appended though not necessarily, approximately rec-- The rim 3, shown in section in Fig. 4, is made'of iron or steel, and is preferably,

tangular in cross section. The rim has rigidly secured with it,'in this instance by a threaded connection, as shown in Fie. 3, spoke sockets 4 in which the outer endsof t e spokes are seated, and held in any preferred manner.

ments or sections-each of which consists of an approximately tubular body portion 5 and a pair of straight extensions 6 that are i ada ted to straddle the rim, as clearly shown in y `igs. 4 .and 5 and lie parallel therewith. In .the form of tire section shown in Figs. 4

.and 6, particularly,ythe extensions 6 are prolvidedl with longitudinal slots 7,: that are adapted to receive bolts or rivetsS that serve,

incon'unction with annular keepers 9,. to holdt e sections assembled with the rim.

These keepers are liet annuli and bear directly 'against the extensions 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 4, the bolt passes through both of the keepers and is threaded into one of them; but it will' be obvious that rivets may be substituted for .the bolts if found necessary or advantageous.

. 4The objectsof the siots is to permit the sections to have a sliding connection vwith the rim, so'that in use the tire will flatten at its point 'of contact with the ground', as shown r41n Fig. 1, and While this flattening results partly from the'com ression of the sections, 1t alsoresults fr omt e extensions sliding in- Ward toward the hub.

Each of the sections is circumferentially reduced at' one end, as shown at 10, thus to permit the sections to overlap with each other, and the overlapped portions `of the sections `are .provided with orifices 11 through .which are passed rivets 12 that operate to hold the voverlapped Vportions assemg bled. rlhese rivetsalso serve to secure to the tread portionof the tire ribs or spurs'13, which, as shown inFig. 2, are approximately T-shaped in contour,`and, as shoWnin Fig; 3,

are triangular in 'cross section. In addition to the rivets. 1'2, each of the ribs'is secured to 'the tread of the tire by at h'i-rd rivet 14;

ln order to preclude entrance ofdirstf or mud to the interior of the tire, shields 1'51are y y employed, Which'are interposed "between 'the extensions and the rim and seal the slots 7 the shields being oiriliced to receive the fase' vteni'n, ;members 8.v

Insteadv of providing the tire sections with slotstoperniit sliding movement relativel `to the rim, the rim may be providedwiti slots lthrough which the bolts or rivets 8 The tire is composed of a series of segproject, 'as shown in Fig. 5, and thereby secure the same result.

As will be noticed by reference to Fig.' 6, one edge of the section is dis osedv at right angles to the crest or bend of t e section, and the other edge-is disposed at an angle thereto, the object of this arrangement being to sections, and also to insure the requisitevslid'- ing movements between the sections andthe secure a close and accurate fit' between the l(living to the` yielding characteriof this l tire, it will be found in use equally as effect ive as the ordinary pneumatic tires 1n com-A mon use and 'will possess advantages thereover, inasmuch as it is cheaper, ispuncture I2. An ,automobile-tire comprising a rim, a

tire composed of metallic sections overlapped at their edge portions, and slidabl connected with therim, T-shaped non-:ski ding Internbers disposed onthe tread of the tire with their cross `arms.arranged. over the overlappedportions ofthe sections, and fastening means passing through the non-skiddingmembers and through the overlapped. portions and the tread ofthe sections to hold the parts assembled.

3. An-automobile tire comprisinga. rim, a tire composed of-tubular'sections overlapped at their ledge portions, and having parallelv disposed extensions arranged exteriorly of the rim, nonskidding members dis osed'at the-streed ofthe sections and at t e over-.-

lapped portions thereof, fasteningfrieans for: 1

holding the sections and non-shiddingfinemlbers assembled, shields interposed-between the tire sections and the rim, and means for connecting the tireandshields Withthe rim.-

.ln test-imonyfthat claim the foregoing as myown, I have hereto' affixed my signature in lthe presence of two witnesses. 

